Chapter 7 Marine not a Soldier
It took all the bearing that my Drill Instructors had put in not to laugh. Before me was the four girls that made up the team I had been assigned to. Along with the other four kids from the initiation behind them. I learned that they had made up team JNPR.
We had made the walk silently to the combat class that was taught by Professor Goodwitch. After my introduction, they had remained mostly silent. They seemed to not be as ready to forget about that morning as I was.
They did however introduce themselves. Ruby Rose was the young girl in the red cloak, she was the one I had saved the day of the initiation. She was also a prodigy getting into the academy two years early at the age of 15 and my new team leader. I was a little concerned about her innocence, but decided if Ozpin let her in early and made her a team leader I had nothing to complain about. I would personally in fact have a talk to him if he would risk an innocent child's life without good reason.
The white-haired girl was Wiess Schnee and seemed a little put off that I didn't know who she was. So she told me, like I was a toddler, that she was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The largest provider of dust and energy propellant in the world. Meaning she had come from money, and a decently looked after life. I was annoyed by this, I never gotten along with people that thought they were important, but someone who has it easy doesn't join hardship without a reason.
The ravenette simply said her name was Blake and left it at that. I didn't have an opinion of her yet other than she liked books. She had not put the one she had been reading in the cafeteria, since we left. Impressively, she hadn't run into anything or anyone, on the walk here.
The blonde, however, Yang Xiao Long, was the one I couldn't read. The very attractive young lady, was not acting like the person her outfit and look gave off. She wouldn't look at me outside a quick glance, was quiet when she did talk, and all-around seemed embarrassed around me. It didn't stop her from looking shocked and confused when I walked out of the locker room. Dressed in my dungarees, carry rifle slung on my shoulder, pistol and knife on my belt, helmet on grape chin straps dangling on the sides.
The whole group looked shocked and surprised to see me.
"What is it, I got something in my teeth?" I asked chuckling, while cleaning my teeth with my tongue.
"Your him, the loon from the forest." Yang gasped, earring a slap across the head by the heiress. Loon? Well I guess might have looked a little deranged, but could really blame me?
"Not, a loon. I was just scared shitless." I stated, getting some looks from the group for my language. Making me cringe, remembering I was in polite company for once. The boys would be laughing at me, while my sister and mother would be feeding me soap.
We continued to the classroom, which was an arena actually. Though while I was listening to what Miss. Goodwitch was saying to the class my team was still intent on finding out who I was.
"But why are you here, you were ever at the launch pads?" Ruby asked confused. As Miss Goodwitch called on two random students to enter the ring. I saw her glance my way, with nothing but a little disapproval. I guess we still had things to work out there.
"Well, let us just say that I'm an…..accidental entry." I said thinking of the best way to answer, and ignoring the professor's look. While I wasn't going to lie to my team about who I was, I wasn't entirely ready to just give them the whole story. There were some things I had seen and done they didn't need to know about.
"Accidental, what do you mean, accidental?" Wiess accused from my left her arms crossed. She looked a little peeved at my statement. Not that that wasn't understandable, but it wasn't any less annoying. I was lying to them, I just didn't know how else to describe how I got in.
"Yeah, how do accidentally going join the initiation?" Yang asked, also sounding confused. "Also, why do you look like a soldier dropout."
"For one I wasn't supposed to be in that forest. Two I am, NOT, a soldier." I stated, getting more confused looks. This was going to be a long explanation.
"Then w…." Ruby didn't get to finish her sentence as the boy from earlier came up behind her and shoved her to the floor before grabbing me by the collar.
"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE." He yelled, spitting in my face. My eyes would have betrayed my annoyance, if the idiot in front of me could read them. My body although frustrated with him, showed the calmness of the sea. Right before the shark, came from below. In the form of Yang with burning hair and red eyes. Picked him up by his hair, and pulled him to face him.
"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE LAYING HANDS ON MY SISTER!?"
" Let go you, BIMBO, this between me that bastard." he spat before striking her in the face, not hard enough to leave damage but enough to get out of her grip. He stumbled for a second before rearing back to strike again.
He froze, at the feeling of my knife on his throat. I glance to his rear anger in his eyes, to find me with my pistol drawn in my right. With my knife held in my left in a reverse grip over his shoulder. I saw his anger die a little when he saw my face, it was there I saw him piss himself. I was no longer calm, I was furious.
"What is the meaning of this!"
I turned to a very scary looking Miss. Goodwitch staring at us, with the rest of the class circled behind and around me the soon to be dead punk in front of me. I may have been new to the team, this world, or to this school. No one however would get away with hurting women, let alone my team. Especially not in my presence.
It wasn't that I didn't think these girls could handle the punk. I was however still peeved with the man for our encounter that morning, and the subject to my father's teaching.
'Women are just as capable as men, but never let fight by themselves.' I heard his words ring in my head.
"Miss. Goodwitch may I borrow the ring? We need to sort something out." I asked not moving from my position. My anger seeping from my voice.
"And what would that be Mr. Brewer. You must know I will not allow maiming, not to mention killing in my class or this school?" She responded strictly, with the same disapproval as earlier. Making more than a few of the students including my team stiffen at the words.
Miss. Goodwitch, of course, knew of my past and was not as supportive if at all of the idea of me being here. It had made our earlier dealings tense, but I saw her point. It was one thing to have a well-trained kid who has never seen war, spar, train, and go to school with other children. It was another to have a highly trained, hardened, not to say scarred man who wasn't even old enough to drink legally.
But did she have to say that where the whole class could hear? There goes for telling my story selectively.
"There will be no maiming or killing. There just a lesson that this individual needs to learn." I stated firmly still holding the man. Some annoyance now adding my anger. He was still angry, but surprisingly just smart enough not to move.
"May I remind you Mr. Brewer that you have still to unlock your aura, and that sparing someone without an aura is very dangerous if not suicidal."
The whole class was shocked at this statement, the boy I held the most. Seeming shake, in fear or rage I couldn't tell. My team was slack-jawed, I would assume remembering the fight we were in together. Where I would have to admit after learning about aura, knew I should have died in.
"Nevertheless Ma'am I'll be needed that ring." I started again, standing firm on my decision.
The air taunt, between Miss. Goodwitch and I, the classroom was coated in silence. Not a single person moved, I'm not even sure people were breathing.
"Very, well, but know I will stop the fight immediately if deem it moving beyond a spar." She caved but stating her intent. Know I wouldn't disobey, not that was even going to challenge her statement.
I let go of the kid, as she turned and headed to the ring. The boy stubble before turning bowing up once again.
"You are going to be one to learn a lesson, you insolent bastard. If you think you can defeat a Winchester with your antiques. My family isn't on the Vale Council because we're weak." He threatened, staring me in the eye with the eyes of a man who had never not gotten what he wanted.
"If politicians were strong they would send others to war, son, and we would have a whole lot less of them."
He growled before shoulder checking me and heading to the ring. Turning to follow, I felt a hand grab my wrist. It belonged to Ruby, who was looking at me with those pools of silver. Almost making feel guilty, from the concern that was swimming in them.
"You're going to get hurt, without an aura, you can't fight him." She pleaded. I smiled as I patted her on the head. I may not know everything about this world but I did know how to fight.
"Don't worry I'll be fine." I reassured her, my voice dropping my current anger. Choosing instead to sound like it would talking to my younger sister. Maybe not with all the love that I held for my sister, but with all the kindness I could but in my words.
"She's right though, even if you are a soldier. You won't beat even a huntsman in training without an aura." Yang said, with the rest of the team beside her looking on with looks of agreement. Not all of them held the same concern, Wiess seemed the least concerned in fact. I don't think they wanted to see some hurt though.
"But that the thing though. I am not a soldier." I said turning and heading toward the ring.
"Then what are you?" Wiess yelled, stomping toward me with the rest of the team. Only stopping their advance as I stepped into the ring making the force field going up locking me in. I turned back to face unslinging my rifle, before ripping the charging handle back. Chambering a round.
"I'm a Marine."